The present invention relates to a register for controlling air flow into a room from an air duct in a floor, wall or ceiling and, in particular, to a register which has at least one damper that is urged by a biasing mechanism reducing vibrations and rattling while permitting a smooth operation of a control mechanism.
It has become well known to use air registers to control the flow of heated, cooled or vented air from a duct system into a room. The register is commonly mounted within a duct opening of the duct system and typically includes fixed or adjustable grill openings or louvers on a grill or face plate of the register. Mounted to the grill is a register frame or body which extends into the duct and helps secure the register thereto and directs airflow through to the face plate. The registers usually employ one or more adjustable dampers within the register body to control the direction and volume of air flow. The dampers can typically be moved between a closed position to block airflow through the register, a partially opened position, and a fully opened position to maximize airflow therethrough.
It has been known to provide either a manual mechanism for adjusting the dampers or motorized dampers as is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,687 to W. Grant and U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,911 to R. Gomez, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Although the embodiments depicted in the present invention are directed primarily to a manually operated damper control mechanism, it should also be appreciated that the features herein may also be useable with a motorized damper control as taught in these patents or is otherwise known in the art.
An example of a manual prior art control mechanism for dampers is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,500 to D. Brown, incorporated herein by reference. In the register disclosed by Brown, the dampers are moved by pivoting a lever, which is pivotally connected to a control or connecting bar. The control bar in turn is connected to the dampers by pins or rivets.
Another air register and control mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,951 to D. York, herein incorporated by reference. The register in York has a sliding control lever. The control lever has arcuate slot for receiving a pintle on a control bar or connecting link. The dampers or louvers are pivotally connected to apertures on the control bar. As the lever is slid, the pintle slides in the arcuate slot and the control bar is translated laterally thereby adjusting the dampers.
One of the drawbacks to the prior art registers is that the prior connections between the dampers and the control bar or frame of the register tend to vibrate and rattle as air flows through the register or other vibratory energy is imparted on the register. In addition, many control mechanisms are stiff or difficult to move in order to adjust the position of the dampers.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a register wherein the dampers are resistant to rattling. It is another object of the invention that the resistance to rattling is accomplished by a biasing mechanism including at least one spring to firmly hold the dampers in the register body. Another object of the invention is that there be one spring for each damper wherein the springs are on a control bar of a control mechanism. It is also an object of the invention to provide a register with dampers that move smoothly between the open and closed positions and will remain in the position set until moved.
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing a register for regulating the passage of air to be mounted in a vent opening of a wall, floor, or ceiling. The register includes a grill having a plate with grill openings for the passage of air therethrough, a frame connected to the bottom of the grill, at least one damper for regulating and directing the air flow through the register, a pivotal connection connecting the damper to the frame to allow pivotal movement there between, a biasing mechanism for pushing on the damper to reduce rattling from vibrations between the damper and frame, and a control mechanism for moving the damper between an open position permitting air to flow through the register, and a closed position wherein air is inhibited from flowing through the register.
It is another feature of the invention that the biasing mechanism is connected to the control mechanism. The biasing mechanism includes at least one leaf spring attached to the control mechanism.
Another aspect of the invention is that in the preferred embodiment the control mechanism includes a lever and a control bar, the control bar transfers movement from the lever to the damper.
Also, it is a feature of the invention that the control bar has a butterfly aperture and the lever is pivotally connected to the control bar at the butterfly aperture. The butterfly aperture has a reduced central section that limits movement of the lever.
A further feature of the invention is that the frame includes an aperture and an arcuate slot and the lever is pivotally connected to the aperture. Also, the lever has an offset portion, and the offset portion extends through the arcuate slot.
Another aspect of the invention is that the biasing mechanism is pivotally connected to the damper at an extension portion thereof.
An additional feature of the invention is that the leaf springs have fingers which extend into apertures of the extension portions of the damper to pivotally connect the damper and the biasing mechanism.
It is also an aspect of the invention that the register may include more than one damper and said biasing mechanism includes a separate spring for each damper. In the preferred emodiment the springs are mounted on the control bar.
Additionally, it is a feature of the invention that the control bar and the lever each move through an arc as the damper is moved between the open and closed positions. The arc of the control bar is different than the arc the lever travels through.